Who'd Have Known
by camihere
Summary: Ashley's a famous singer with a new hit looking for a promising director willing to break the rules and Spencer just happens to be the one Ashley needs... Who'd have known, right? Spashley.
1. Dirty Mind

Who'd Have Known

Chapter I

Dirty Mind

She sighed loudly, letting out all the smoke that was in her lungs. Her throat burned a little and she groaned in frustration, throwing the small cigarette on the floor and stepping on it with her new Fendi ankle boot. It was raining cats and dogs as she stood above some store's awning, but still not escaping one hundred percent from the water. Her face was a little flushed and she could feel her arms as well as her neckline a little humid. That bothered her a lot, but she didn't move. She just stood there, waiting for her ride.

She didn't have to wait much longer. A shinny dark grey car stopped by the sidewalk on the desert street and the young woman didn't think twice before running towards it.

"Sorry it took me so long," the man sitting on the driving seat said. "There was this huge–"

"Whatever." She interrupted the man. "Just… drive."

There was no need to repeat.

The man on the driving seat side glanced the young woman. They knew each other for years, but he knew little about her. Aside from her to die for looks, all he knew about her was that she was a famous singer – and a very good one. He had seen some magazines with her picture on the cover, but never dared to buy those – he didn't want to read gossip about that woman and get the wrong idea about her. Even though he knew basically nothing about her, he could honestly say she was a good person. Very rude, sarcastic and even a little edgy, but a good person nevertheless.

"We're here," he announced when he realized the young woman was deep in thought. She looked up a little startled, but then smiled.

"Thanks, Harry," she winked and left the car, running to escape the rain.

"You're welcome, Ashley," he said to himself, watching the girl's brown curls wave with the wind as she ran. And then he drove away.

SPASHLEY

"Ashley!" Someone screamed as she entered the huge building. "Finally you're here, where've you been?"

The voice owner, a tall bald guy with a ridiculous mustache, grabbed her by the arm and started to walk towards the elevator.

"Yeah, my driver was–"

"Oh, you need to meet the director, she's a genius!" He interrupted her, unaware that she was even speaking.

"_She_?" Ashley frowned. "But I asked for Peter Hudson! He's the best, you know that! I specifically said I wan–"

"Ashley, chill out." He interrupted her again. "You're gonna love this girl, she's new, she's fresh, she's young! And she has great ideas. You should talk to her; I remember her mentioning something about Britney steps."

"What?!" Ashley's eyes seemed about to pop out of the orbs. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. The tall guy quickly walked out of it with a smile on his face.

"Just talk to her, Ashley!" And then he took his ringing cell phone out of his pocket and walked away.

"Jerk," Ashley mumbled under her breath while she walked towards the other side of the hallway, spotting her manager talking to someone.

"Aiden!" She yelled in frustration. He turned around with a smile on his face and opened his mouth to talk, but Ashley was sick of being cut, so she spoke first. "What happened to Peter Hudson? I distinctly remember asking for Peter fucking Hudson, not some stupid 16 year old who lives in the far away past where Britney fucking Spears still had some fucking talent!"

Aiden, used to his client's rage when her wishes weren't attended, simply put his hands on her shoulders.

"Ashley, relax," he said. "Hudson asked for a fortune and the record label didn't accept. There's no deal, I'm sorry! But this girl here…"

Just then Ashley realized there was someone else in the room; the person Aiden was talking to when she walked in screaming in rage. It was a short girl with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. That kind of girl never really caught Ashley attention; it was as if they were trying hard to be something they weren't. However, this girl actually had charm. She wore designer clothes, but Ashley could easily say she didn't feel very comfortable in them. The blonde had a small-town-shy-girl-who-moved-to-big-city smirk that actually made her look very hot.

"… Spencer Carlin." Aiden finished with a big smile, recognizing the look on Ashley's face.

"I'm not Peter Hudson, but I'm pretty sure I'm not some 16 year old who still believes Britney has talent. That was a joke, but I'm not very surprised the creepy mustache guy thought I was being serious."

"Oh," was all Ashley could think of saying.

"Listen, don't worry, okay?" Spencer was in front of her now; her big blue eyes locked on Ashley's brown ones. "I've been following your job since your first single, I know your style. I'm not trying nor do I intend to ruin it, okay? Plus, I loved the song. _Dirty Mind_ is definitely the best song on your new album."

Ashley sighed, defeated.

"Now, I was thinking maybe we could talk about the song," Spencer continued. "I want to make sure I get it before I tell you my ideas to the video."

"It's simple," Ashley looked away. "It's just crappy emo stuff, really. Just throw some fake rain; I'll make my sad-girl-who-got-dumped-by-her-jock-boyfriend face and bam. Millions of dollars."

Ashley fake smiled at Spencer and walked away towards the food table, grabbing a cup of coffee.

"Hey, don't listen to Ashley," Aiden said before Spencer could even think of a reaction. "She's just stressed, her last video clip wasn't well seen because of the dyke drama theme and stuff and now the record label wants her to play the straight perfect girl even though there isn't one single soul in this world who still believes that crap. Especially after those pictures of her kissing her old girlfriend on the tabloids and stuff. She just wanted Peter coz we've been working with him for… wow, I can't even remember how long. Well, the thing is, he was all for the lesbian thematic and the label wanted someone new. Ashley doesn't know, but the reason why the replaced Peter is because they wanted something more… sensitive and, you know, cliché."

"Well," Spencer was honestly shocked by all this. She looked at Ashley, who now was drinking coffee with an irritated look on her face. The blonde couldn't help but realize how cute she looked when she was frustrated. "Listen, my style… Well, it's not cliché. If you want me to do cliché, then I'm out of here. I can stand boy-girl drama, but cliché? I'm sorry, but… If I wanted cliché, then I'd be working on, I don't know, Hillary Duff's big comeback, which, by the way, so not happening. Instead, I'm here, because I know Peter Hudson's work and I admire it. I also know Ashley's style and I'm not planning on breaking it. As much as it hurts for me to admit, she actually has what it takes to be the next big thing and when that happens, I don't want to be that big mistake she made to get where she is."

And then the blonde walked away, leaving a speechless Aiden behind. Ashley watched the girl walking away with the corner of her eyes and after she was sure she was nowhere to be seen, the brunette walked back to Aiden.

"Where did blondie go?"

"Away," Aiden shrugged.

SPASHLEY

Ashley honestly knew she wasn't supposed to smoke so much. Everybody was always telling her it would affect her voice and make it raspier, but she didn't really care. As she watched the colors of the streets and the cars driving by from her window sill, she knew it was wrong for someone to watch something so relaxing and feel anything but relaxed. So she lit up a cigarette and all her muscles relaxed at the familiar dizziness it brought her.

The old apartment she was in was located in some old building which its population consisted mainly of old people. None of them had the slight idea who she was and that was her secret place; the place she went to relax.

Hearing a small noise coming from her door, Ashley opened her eyes in surprise. After putting the cigarette out, she walked slowly towards the door and opened it. Nobody – not even Aiden – knew about this place, so it was a huge surprise to see blond hair the other side.

"Are you stalking me?" Ashley asked with attitude.

"I-uh…" Spencer stuttered. She had an empty cup held tight between her hands and a surprised expression on her face. "No, I…"

"I'm listening."

"Could stop being so rude all the time?" Spencer snapped. "I did nothing to you; I didn't even know you lived here. I was just coming here to ask for some sugar, but you know what? Nevermind."

Spencer turned around and began to walk away, but turned around abruptly after feeling something soft on her left shoulder. Ashley was looking at her with a guilty expression.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I… I'd say it runs in the family."

"Tourette syndrome?"

"Something like that," Ashley chuckled lightly. "Here, let me…"

Ashley touched Spencer's hands to get the empty cup, but something about the softness of the other girl's skin made her hands linger a little longer than necessary upon hers. They locked eyes for one second and then the moment was over when Ashley blinked twice and changed her expression for a more formal one.

Spencer followed Ashley inside the old apartment and to say she was amazed would be an understatement. The place looked like an old jazz bar, with all the walls very dark and the lights very weak. There was a piano on one corner, along with an acoustic guitar and at least twenty sheets of paper. On the other side of the room there was an old-looking bar and all kinds of drinks Spencer could thing of – and some she had never seen before. There was a gigantic black leather couch in the middle of the room, but no TV.

"Nice little place you got here," Spencer commented after Ashley signed for her to sit by the red marble counter.

"Thanks," Ashley half-smiled before bending over to take a big pot of sugar from one of the cabinets and filling Spencer's cup with it.

"Mmm, I don't mean to intrude, but," Spencer stuttered a little. "Do you live here? I mean, this place is great, but the building is…"

"Falling on my head?" Ashley suggested and Spencer nodded hesitantly, relaxing after seeing the brunette smile at her. "I don't live here, it's just my… How can I put it? Relaxing place."

"Oh," Spencer nodded her head understanding.

"What about you?" Ashley kinked one eyebrow, standing still on the other side of the counter after resting the cup full of sugar on it.

"What about me?" Spencer asked confusedly.

"Do you live here?" Ashley locked eyes with her for a second before looking away. "I mean, they told me you're successful. No offense."

"I am," Spencer chuckled. "Sort of, at least. I don't really live here; I'm just spending some time with my grandma. She's kind of sick and there's nobody else to take care of her, so…"

"Right," Ashley nodded understandingly. "You're Mrs. Carlin's granddaughter."

"You know my grandma?"

"I think I know everyone in this building," Ashley chuckled. "We play chess a lot; your grandma and I. She's very sweet; she even lets me win sometimes."

"Sounds like her," Spencer chuckled.

"So, uh…" Ashley sounded a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, but I forgot your name."

"It's okay," Spencer chuckled. "I'm Spencer. Carlin," she added.

"Right," Ashley smiled still a little embarrassed. "So, uh, Spencer… Why did you take off this morning? Was it because I was rude, because I–"

"No, no," Spencer cut her. "It's not like that, it's just that, uh… Well, Aiden told me not to tell you, but I guess you'll find out eventually, so I'm just gonna say it. Your label wants you to make a cliché video clip, and that's just not how I work."

"You mean the hetero drama?"

"No, I mean cliché. With the fake rain and your sad-girl-who-got-dumped-by-her-jock-boyfriend face," Spencer quoted Ashley's words.

"What?!" Ashley snapped. "Sorry, I… It's not your fault, it's just…"

"It's okay," Spencer gave her a sympathetically look. "I'd flip out too if I found out my bosses were trying to make me look like something I'm not."

"I wish Peter was here," Ashley looked to her feet. "He'd make the video his way and show those asses what _Dirty Mind_ really is about."

"Sorry about that," Spencer half-smiled at her and grabbed the cup of sugar from the counter. "Listen, I'm just gonna go, my grandma is probably wondering where I am. Come by some time, my grandma will really appreciate it."

"Yeah, sure, I will," Ashley nodded.

"I'll find my way out," Spencer got up from the stool and walked away, but not before looking back and adding a proper goodbye. "G'night, Ashley."

"Night."

A/N: Hey guys! So, this is my very first Spashley story and I'm really excited about it! Hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I haven't even started working on chapter 2… In fact, I just finished chap 1. It's fresh new, so enjoy. But don't worry, Spashley is really easy to write, so it won't take me long to post again. Btw, sorry about any grammar mistake… English is just my second language, so please have a little patience.

Oh, and in case you're wondering why the story's got that title, it's very simple. It's because of Lily Allen's song "Who'd Have Known", from her new album "It's Not Me, It's You". I recommend the whole album, but that song especially.

Anyway, R&R! See you guys next chapter.


	2. No Pressure Over Cappuccino

Who'd Have Known

Chapter II

No Pressure Over Capuccino

Ashley knew there was something wrong with her when the first thing that came to her mind when she woke up that morning was Spencer Carlin. Normally, she would wake up thinking of herself; her to do list, her bed hair, her morning breath, her, her, her. However, that morning the unique happening of someone else coming to her mind actually made her frown. She knew it wasn't a crush – Spencer was cute and stuff, but so not her type – so what else could it be?

Pushing the thoughts of the blonde away from her mind, Ashley decided to go back to her normal self and concentrate on herself; afterall, the world spun around her belly button.

After getting up and brushing her teeth, Ashley decided to straighten her hair. However, feeling that her face was too clean for her, she decided to take off her contacts and put on the glasses she rarely used wore. Satisfied with her work, the brunette decided to make some coffee and then come up with a solution for her little career problem.

While sipping the black liquid, Ashley heard a soft knock on her door. Surprisingly, she was glad to see Spencer on the other side of the beautiful piece of wood.

"Are you stalking me?" She repeated last night's words without the attitude and with her trademark smirk.

"Don't tell grandma," Spencer joked, getting inside the apartment after Ashley stepped aside to let her in. "So, I've been awake for the past four hours, waiting for a more decent hour to come by, because, you know, you're a rock star and stuff. But it's still ten and you're already up."

"You woke up at six?"

"I did."

"I went to bed at six."

"You did?"

"I did."

Ashley smirked again and walked towards the kitchen, giving Spencer a little display of the girl's legs under the really short shorts she had on. Feeling her cheeks blush for being checking Ashley out, Spencer looked away and followed the brunette.

"So, sorry for coming here like that, but I was really bored. I mean, I love my grandma and stuff, but there's only so much one can hear about soap operas."

Ashley chuckled lightly and sat down on one of the counter's stools, gesturing for Spencer to do the same.

"I totally understand," Ashley nodded while sipping her coffee. "Your grandma is great at chess, but that's how long I can hear about Eduardo and Melissa."

"Who?"

"The protagonists of the soap she watches. It's Mexican or something."

"Right," Spencer chuckled.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes, each deep in their own thoughts, until something caught Ashley's attention. Spencer had some toothpaste on her chin, which normally would be gross, but Ashley found very adorable.

"What?" Spencer's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Nothing, it's just that…" Ashley pointed to her own face with a smile. "You have a little…"

"Oh." Spencer blushed and rubbed her hand on her face; everywhere except where the toothpaste was. Ashley giggled a little.

"Here, let me," she said while raising her hand to touch the blonde's chin. Neither was ready for what came next. The moment Ashley's thumb connected with Spencer's chin, something changed. Suddenly there was no sound coming from the street and no smell of coffee in the air. There was only a sudden and unexplainable electricity in their bodies; something so unique that they knew it was impossible for the other not to feel it too. It was a _moment_.

"There," Ashley hesitantly said after there was no sign of toothpaste on the other girl's face. She wasn't smiling anymore; she was just staring seriously at Spencer's eyes while her hand never left her face. Ashley could honestly say she tried to resist, but the truth was that she never did. She went with her instinct and let her fingertips run smoothly across Spencer's jaw line. Her skin barely made any contact with her face, but it was enough for both of them. The short hairs of Spencer's neck were all up and she honestly couldn't tell if it was because she was ticklish or because her hand smelled so good. She forced her mind to remember what was that smell, and after a second she was able to. It smelled like cigarettes; the same smell her grandfather always had on his hands when he lovingly caressed her face. As gross as it sounded, she actually loved that smell; she couldn't tell how much she missed it after he was gone.

Ashley's hand suddenly stopped, leaving Spencer's face quickly while her eyes narrowed. The blonde immediately missed the contact, but didn't have the guts to ask her to don't stop.

"I, uh…" Ashley stuttered out. "I think you should go. I mean, your grandma…"

"Uh, yeah," Spencer got up quickly. "I'll just throw myself out."

Walking away from the kitchen, a crazy idea came to Spencer's mind. Stopping on tracks, she turned around to look back at Ashley, who had her back turned to her.

"Actually," Spencer started, bringing Ashley's attention back to her. "I… I had something to ask you."

"Yeah?" Ashley visibly gulped.

"What if…" Spencer took a deep breath. "I want to make your video."

"Sorry?" Ashley's eyebrows furrowed.

"I want to break the rules… with you." She said. "If you want me to, I mean. I, uh, totally get if…"

"No," Ashley interrupted her and then shook her head. "I mean, yeah. I… I want you to break the rules with me."

SPASHLEY

To say Ashley was attracted to Spencer would be an understatement. The brunette girl felt a connection with the blonde she had never felt before, and as cheesy as it sounded, it was undeniable that she wanted the girl next to her as much as possible. Maybe that was why that exact moment she stood in front of the apartment 707, staring intently at Mrs. Carlin's front door.

Taking a deep breath, Ashley slowly raised her hand and knocked twice on the wooden door. She held her breath in when she heard movement on the other side, and, judging by the small round glass on the door, she figured the person was probably looking at her right now. Ashley unconsciously wetted her lips and let her breath out when the door opened, revealing a beautiful blond girl very familiar.

"Hey, Spence," said Ashley, mentally smacking herself for calling her by a nickname. Spencer seemed unfazed by it, because she simply smiled and got out of the way to let the brunette in. "Is your grandma home? I was wondering if she wanted to play chess, but it's okay if she–"

"She's here," Spencer interrupted her rambling. "And I'm sure she'll be thrilled to know you're here. I suck at chess."

"Right," Ashley smiled uncomfortably and followed Spencer through a small hallway with white walls and lots of pictures hanging, entering the room to the left. She had never been there before; everytime they played chess it was in the living room or the kitchen.

"Grandma?" Spencer called quietly. The old lady opened her blue eyes so much like Spencer's and her whole face lit up when she saw Ashley besides her granddaughter.

"Ashley!" Mrs. Carlin exclaimed. "What a nice view to my tired eyes."

"Pfft, tired, right," Ashley joked. "You've got eyes of eagles, Jud."

"Can't deny that," the white-haired woman smirked and sat on the bed with some difficulty. She lifted her glasses from the bedside table and put them above her perfect little up-turned nose.

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Carlin?" Ashley asked with a sympathetic look.

"Been better," she smiled. "But I think winning at chess would make my day. Would you give me the pleasure?"

"Oooh," Ashley smiled challenging. "I'll play with you alright. But I'm going to kick your butt, old lady!"

Spencer had to admit she was a little shocked at the language Ashley used around her grandma, but what really surprised her was that the old woman seemed almost accustomed to it, smiling adoringly at the brunette.

"Like I said, I don't plan on letting you win today," she replied in the same tone.

"Ouch," Spencer butted in. "She made you look like a loser."

"Hey!" Ashley pouted a little, and then looked at the grandmother with fake anger. "Nobody makes me look stupid in front of my new friend."

Spencer's cheeks suddenly colored with a light shade of pink, which only got darker after Ashley winked at her with an adorable smile that made her melt inside.

"I'm going to go get some snacks," Spencer mumbled, a little bewildered.

"You do that, hon," Mrs. Carlin waved a dismissing hand while putting the pieces of the game on their right places.

"Ouch," Ashley mock mimicked her. "She made you look like a loser."

Spencer stuck her tongue out to Ashley and walked away, not being able to come up with a proper comeback.

"Maybe it's because I _am_ a loser," she thought to herself.

By the time Spencer got back with a tray of her grandmother's top-secret recipe, the two had already started the game. Both still had all the pieces on their respective sides and Ashley had an expression of deep concentration. Spencer couldn't help but find adorable how she bit the inside of her mouth when she was thinking too hard.

"You're going down, old lady," Ashley smirked while moving one of her bishops and then rested back on her chair with satisfaction while her opponent thought carefully about her next move. Feeling eyes on her face, Ashley looked up to meet Spencer with a tray of cookies. "Cookies!"

"Cookies," Spencer smiled and set the tray on bed, feeling an unexpected urge to giggle at the brunette collecting the cookies with one perfectly manicured hand. The blonde watched in expectation as Ashley brought one to her mouth and gasped in surprise.

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed. "Those have to be the best cookies in history. Spencer, you're a genius."

"Actually," Spencer opened her mouth to tell her it was her grandmother's recipe, but the white-haired woman interrupted her.

"She is, isn't she?" She smiled proudly. "Her own recipe. Became the secret of the family."

"Seriously?" Ashley looked at Spencer with impressed eyes and Mrs. Carlin winked at Spencer.

"Uh… It's-uh… It's no big deal," Spencer blushed a little.

"And she's modest," her grandma added.

"Wow," Ashley smiled while looking directly into Spencer's eyes. "Quite a catch, uh? I know a few people who'd marry you just for those cookies."

"Well, Spencer's got a lot more than just that to offer, now, doesn't she?"

"Grandma!" Spencer blushed even more.

"Yeah, she's very…" Ashley, with her back turned to Mrs. Carlin, shamelessly eyed Spencer's body up and down. "… Nice."

SPASHLEY

"Sore loser, uh?" Spencer asked casually while closing the door to her grandmother's bedroom. The game had ended with a very predictable check mate coming from the old lady, who went to bed only a few minutes after that, claiming she had to leave the night to the young.

"No, I just…" Ashley bit the inside of her cheek and then sighed in defeat. "Fine, I am. Everytime I have a bad review or do something stupid on a gig I throw myself on booze and sex."

"What about chess?"

"Booze and sex." Ashley admitted as they stood by the front door.

"Well, maybe I can help you with that." Spencer suggested slyly, making Ashley's eyes grow twice their original size.

"Sorry?"

"Booze," Spencer smiled sweetly as if she hadn't realized what the brunette had thought of her suggestion. "I have some wine somewhere around here."

"Oh," Ashley quickly recomposed herself. "Uh, yeah… Wine's… perfect."

Spencer flashed her knowing smirk and turned around, walking towards the kitchen cabinets to open it and search for the bottle of wine she knew she had somewhere in there. The brunette looked away when Spencer's shirt lifted up a little from raising her arm and opened the door to wait on the hallway.

"Shall we?" Ashley asked when she saw Spencer beside her.

"Lead the way."


	3. These Foolish Things

Who'd Have Known

Chapter III

These Foolish Things

Spencer could never really hold her liquor down. She didn't throw up or anything like that; she just did and said stupid things. She still remembered the first time she had alcohol – she was sixteen and all her friends drank since the age of fourteen. The blonde was crushing over one of her friends – Aubrey – and during one night out at some bar, her friends finally succeeded in persuading her into drinking. She didn't have much to drink that night – only three shots of sex on the beach. It wasn't enough to make her throw up, but it sure was enough to make her spill some dark secrets.

When Aubrey excused herself to go to the bathroom, her friends – mostly gay guys – started to talk about the absent girl. Both Spencer and Aubrey were very used to that behavior coming from their friends, so the blonde just listened and chuckled every now and then. They were talking about how rude she was sometimes and Spencer casually threw a comment there.

"She's nice to me," she shrugged.

"That's coz she wants to shag you!" One of the guys practically yelled. There was a silence – not an uncomfortable or comfortable, just silence – afterwards. They were all waiting for her response, which was a simple and small:

"I'd do her, too."

All her friends erupted into a collection of gasps and cheers that made the rest of the bar glare disapprovingly. Aubrey reappeared then, looking amused, and then curious as to why they all shut their mouths at the sight of her.

"You were laughing at me?" She asked in a slightly annoyed tone. Everyone in the table shared questioning glances, asking each other what to do or say. That was until Spencer spoke up:

"They're just happy coz I said I'd do you."

After Spencer's statement, nobody made a single sound. The expectation in the air was so big that Spencer thought that any minute now someone was going to say "and the Oscar goes to…"

"Oh," Aubrey shrugged and sat down next to Spencer. "Let's make'm happier, now, shall we?"

Before Spencer could say another word, her lips were glued to Aubrey's.

SPASHLEY

"And that was my first drunken mistake," Spencer finished with a small embarrassed chuckle while Ashley laughed uncontrollably, influenced by the alcohol. They had long finished Spencer's bottle of wine plus one of Ashley's and were now halfway finished with a new one.

"Why was it a mistake?" Ashley smirked. "Was she not a good kisser? Or were you like one of those perfect little catholic girls?"

"I was a perfect little catholic girl," Spencer giggled. "But that's not the reason. It's because she forgot it all the next day, which clearly means she had no feelings towards me whatsoever. I was heartbroken."

"Shut up!" Spencer giggled along with Ashley.

"I'm serious!"

"Awn, poor Spencer," Ashley mocked. "I bet you were the kind of girl who wrote _'Mrs. Spencer… Aubrey whatever'_ all over her books."

"I was not!" Spencer frowned. "And it was Aubrey Andrews."

"Oh, admit it, you were," she giggled. "Mrs. Spencer Andrews. Kinda has a ring to it."

"I never did such thing," the blonde claimed before drinking all the contents of her cup. "I bet you were a… Nevermind."

"What?" Ashley giggled. "You were going to say slut, weren't you?"

"Whore, actually," Spencer admitted. "But slut does sound better. I don't know, it kinda fits you. Ashley Davies, the big fat slut."

"Hey, someone's crossing the line here," Ashley fake scolded her.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I was just joking," Ashley smiled truthfully as Spencer watched her movements with care and analyzing her expression.

"I wish I was more like you," the blonde said after a while. "You're so truthful all the time. So… Sincere."

"Trust me, that's not always good," Ashley half smiled. "Sometimes I'm rude to people that actually can be kind of, you know, cool."

"Like me?" Spencer smiled brightly.

"You're… nice. But I don't think I'd go so far as to say you're cool. But hey, whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Bitch!" Spencer giggled.

"Just kidding," Ashley smiled. "You're pretty cool, Spence."

"I am?" Spencer half smiled.

"Yeah, you are," she replied. "And beautiful. And funny, too."

"Wow," Spencer said in a joking tone. "I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?"

"You're pretty amazing," Ashley agreed with a low chuckle before drinking down at least a quarter of the wine left. "Different from this wine. Because this is shit."

"I know," Spencer giggled. "I hate wine; it's for old people and special occasions."

"I know!" Ashley agreed. "It's like, hey, can I get some vodka here please?!"

"I thought you had everything in this bar of yours."

"I do," Ashley admitted. "I just thought you wanted wine. I have like everything here. Really, everything."

"Absinth?" Spencer joked.

"Have it. Don't feel like it, though."

"You have to be kidding." Spencer giggled. "I bet you bring lots of girls here to seduce them, don't you?"

Ashley rested the half-empty bottle of wine on the floor and sat back on the couch with her feet on the coffee table. Spencer, who sat on the floor with her back on the couch, got up and sat next to Ashley on the leather sofa.

"Not really," Ashley finally answered. "Nobody knows this place. It's like a shelter to me. A refuge, if you might. That's probably why all the old ladies in this building like me… They have no idea I'm famous, you know? They don't watch MTV or read gossip magazines. And even if they saw anything about me, they probably wouldn't recognize me or wouldn't believe it was me."

"That's true…" Spencer took the bottle off of the floor and took a huge draught of it.

"Whoa, calm down there, tiger," Ashley chuckled and took the bottle from Spencer's hand. The unexpected movement made some wine spill on the blonde's chin, neck and cleavage. _"Uh-oh,"_ thought Ashley with a gulp.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Spencer," Ashley began to get up to get a towel for the girl, but something held her back. Looking down, the brunette realized it was Spencer's fingers on a tight grasp around her wrist.

"Don't be," she smiled, leaning in towards Ashley. The brunette wanted so bad to move, but something about Spencer's blue eyes made her stop. They were staid. It was Spencer leaning in, not the wine.

Before Ashley could wonder some more about the other girl's state of mind, Spencer's eyes were closed and her soft pink lips were glued to hers. She could honestly say that was the slowest kiss she had ever had. It began only as a small rub and to both girls' surprise, Ashley pulled her back when she was about to separate their lips. The singer closed her eyes and brought one hand to Spencer's face while the other supported her weight on the couch. A chill ran all around her body when she felt Spencer's tongue on her mouth and the unmistakable taste of wine evading her senses. She separated their mouths and began to trail kisses wherever she found wine; first her chin, then her neck and then finally…

"Fuck," Ashley heard Spencer say with a moan. The truth was that Ashley liked to make girls groan, moan, howl, scream, yell… You name it. It was her favorite and fastest turn on. When Spencer's low – almost inaudible – moan escaped her swelled lips, something went off on Ashley's insides. She could honestly say she had never been so turned on her entire life and she knew right then and there she had to have Spencer Carlin. She needed to hear her screaming Ashley's name at the top of her lungs; to hear her curse every single curse known to man; to make Spencer come so many times her legs would fail when she got up. With those thoughts in mind and Spencer's soft moan engraved to her memory, Ashley didn't hesitate while opening all the buttons of the blonde's shirt, displaying a cute yellow polka dot bra that definitely bulged Spencer's breasts.

Without a second thought, Ashley brought her lips to the girl's cleavage, licking and sucking all the wine that had spilt while her proficient hands worked on unclasping the blonde's bra. She was finally there when…

"Wait," Spencer pulled back suddenly. Her breath was caught in her throat and she let it out with an almost animal sound that just turned Ashley on even more. "I have a girlfriend."

Ashley stopped for a second before smirking.

"She doesn't have to know," and then she leaned in towards Spencer's breasts once again, only to be stopped by the blonde.

"Well, I'll know," she stated.

"Fine, she can join us," Ashley said seriously.

"Ashley!" Spencer blushed. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll, uh… I think I'll just go back to my grandma's house."

"C'mon, Spence, don't be like that," Ashley was the one who held her back this time, bringing her lips to the blonde's neck.

"Ashley, stop it!" Spencer pushed her away a little annoyed. "I said I don't want it!"

"You kissed _me_," Ashley said a little harshly.

"I-I know…" Spencer got up and buttoned three buttons of her shirt. "I'm sorry, I… Uh, g'night."

And with that she was gone leaving a speechless Ashley behind; only one thought craved to her mind: _I need to have Spencer Carlin_.

AN: Thanks for all the reviews, guys! You rock!


	4. I Know That's Not Really You

Who'd Have Known

Chapter IV

I Know That's Not Really You

Ashley sat on the curb outside the old building, a cigarette in one hand and a cup of weak, tepid black coffee in the other. Two old men were on the sidewalk behind her, watching life pass by on the old forgotten boring street. Mr. Black, a tall man with a lustrous head and a half-asleep expression on his face, listened carefully to what the other man said. He was Mr. Baker – or just Joe to Ashley – a short man with neatly combed white hair and always the same red bow tie around his thin shaved neck.

"You should stop smoking," said Mr. Black with his ever-lasting bored sleepy eyes.

"I know," Ashley lamented after inhaling the smoke from the white stick.

"Don't listen to him, he's a boring old man," said Joe with a wave of hand. "Back at my time, it was beautiful to see a woman smoking. Elegant."

"But it isn't anymore, is it?" Ashley half-smiled.

"No," Mr. Black scolded her.

"Darling, everything's beautiful when you do it," Joe, forever a gentleman, replied as if Mr. Black had never interrupted. "You could swim in a pool of poop and still look classy if you wanted to."

Ashley couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips.

"I'd have to agree with him on that," Mr. Black grinned.

"Oh, you would," Ashley smirked.

"So, what's bothering you, honey?" The bald man asked after a short silence. "You never come out here to smoke. That apartment of yours must stink."

"It does not!" Ashley giggled. "But yeah, I only come out here to smoke when something bothers me."

"Is it a girl?" Joe asked slyly. Even though Ashley knew older people could be a lot more judgmental than younger ones, she still came out to some of them. Mr. Black and Joe were only two of them, but she was sure many others knew – which would explain why a couple of old ladies avoided her like the plague. Mrs. Carlin was the only one to discover all by herself. The woman had a mean gaydar.

"Yeah," Ashley sighed and let out the smoke from her lungs. "For the first time in my life I met someone who I _really_ want, you know? I want her as much as all the other girls wanted me – the way I always wanted to want someone. And then…"

"She's got a girlfriend," Clever Mr. Black finished for her with his thick Dutch accent. Ashley simply nodded and threw the small cigarette on the floor, stepping on it with her recently purchased rubber flip flops.

"But I really thought–" she sighed. "I _know_ she wants me too. She kissed me first. She let me… Do stuff."

"Then win her over," Joe shrugged and yawned afterwards. "Follow her around, tease her… She's gonna give in sometime."

"That's a brilliant idea," Ashley's face lit up.

"No, it isn't!" Mr. Black interrupted. "You shouldn't make her cheat – it's wrong. You should show her how much you like her and perhaps try and convince her to break up with her girlfriend. Imagine if you were her girlfriend."

"I don't even know her girlfriend," Ashley whined. "I don't really care about her or what she feels. She doesn't exist for all I care."

"Then go get your girl!" Joe smiled cheeringly when Ashley got up with a huge grin and kissed both men's cheeks before getting inside the building.

"You really shouldn't give her bad advice, Joe," Mr. Black sighed tiredly.

"Oh, let the girl live a little," Joe rolled his eyes and looked back towards the street. A few seconds later he opened his mouth to speak, but, peeking with the corner of his eyes, he realized the old man was fast asleep.

SPASHLEY

Sighing deeply, Ashley stood in front of Mrs. Carlin's front door. In between her hands, she carried two cups of coffee and an aspirin. She had a confident smirk in her face while she kicked the door lightly with her left foot, waiting for someone to open the door and let her in.

"Who is this?" She heard a muffled voice from very far.

"I'll give you a clue: rock star. Big time."

The other side of the door was then completely silent and Ashley could almost imagine the expression on Spencer's face as the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. Even though she wished it was a satisfied smirk, she knew it was pure horror mixed with shock.

"Hi…" Spencer opened the door and succeeded in looking everywhere except Ashley's eyes.

"Morning," Ashley smiled brightly and skipped inside the apartment. She looked absolutely perfect: nails and hair done, perfect make up, eyebrows a hundred percent lined, nose upturned in the cutest way possible and clothes that seemed to have mind of their own, clinging in to the right places exactly. And what bothered Spencer the most was that she knew Ashley didn't have to wake up 5 o'clock in the morning to look like that – especially considering they stayed up until past 6. Looking in the mirror on the small hallway, Spencer looked at what to her seemed like a bland tall girl with boring blond hair, extremely porous skin and a constant expression of pain – but she knew she only did that when she looked in the mirror. However, when Ashley looked at Spencer, what she saw was a breathtaking beauty with glowing hair, big bright blue eyes, soft pink lips slightly larger that average and breasts overly larger than average. Ashley didn't have to look in the mirror to see that she looked at Spencer like she was a piece of meat and maybe that was what deep down she felt towards the blonde at that moment. She was hungry and needed to eat her. Entirely.

"So, I woke up like ten minutes ago and bought some coffee and figured you'd want some aspirin after last night," Ashley said; her eyes still glued to Spencer's body like she was food. She wasn't even trying to be subtle. In fact, she somewhat wanted Spencer to realize how much she wanted her.

"Huh, thanks," Spencer smiled and walked towards the kitchen, feeling Ashley's eyes on her butt. The heat on her face just increased. "You came here just for that?"

"No," Ashley rested the coffee and the pills on the kitchen counter without taking her eyes off of Spencer's and slowly walked towards the girl, bringing a hand to cup her left cheek. The blonde wanted to move and do something, but Ashley's eyes seemed to have some sort of power over her, binding her on the exact same spot. She started to kiss Spencer's right cheek, slowly making her way towards her lips. However, when she was less than half an inch away from the pink velvet, Spencer finally regained her senses and moved away, taking a step backwards.

"What are you doing?" She managed to stutter after one second.

"I thought it was kind of obvious," Ashley chuckled, seemingly unaffected by the rejection.

"I mean, why are you doing this?"

"Because you're hot…?" Ashley was just a tiny bit nervous now – for the first time in her life, she didn't have an answer. Better yet, second time. She never knew hot to answer 'why don't you love me?' too.

"But I have a girlfriend."

"But I don't wanna kiss her, I wanna kiss you."

"I didn't ask if you wanted to kiss her," Spencer's voice was one octave higher now, nearly panicky. "I asked why are you doing this? You can have any girl, why me? Why not, I don't know, Lindsay Lohan?"

"Coz she's a bad kisser," Ashley shrugged.

"What?" Spencer's mouth hung open.

"Just kidding!" Ashley chuckled. "Listen, she's hot, but… I don't know why, I just want to kiss you right now."

"You can't just barge into people's house and kiss them."

"You did that to me last night!"

"I didn't barge, I was invited. _By you_."

"Yeah, well, you kissed me nonetheless!" Ashley argued back. "You can't just kiss me and expect me to just forget it."

"I bet you kiss random girls all the time and never call them back," Spencer practically yelled, not much patience left in her. She remembered Ashley's easiness to talk about her sluttiness the previous night, but that was completely different – and even then she could feel the girl didn't like that topic very much.

"You don't know me," Ashley said in a calm voice, pressing her lips together forcefully afterwards. "You say you don't want me, but you act the contrary."

"You don't know me," Spencer copied Ashley's comeback.

"I may not know you, but I know sex language," Ashley approached the girl again, but this time Spencer took a step backwards to each step forward the brunette took. "Your eyes burn when you look at me. Your breathing changes when I touch you. You are staring at my lips right now."

Spencer looked up alarmed at the girl's last statement, shock evident in her expression. She had nowhere else to run to; she was trapped between the fridge and Ashley, whose arms supported her body on each side of Spencer's.

"I love my girlfriend," Spencer managed to croak out as a last retort.

"I never said you didn't," Ashley smirked. "You love her, you want me. Sounds fair to me."

"It isn't. You're supposed to want who you love."

"So you don't love her."

"I do."

"Then how come you don't want her?"

"I never said I didn't," Spencer gulped. Ashley wanted to kiss her and take her right there and then, but something about the subject stopped her. She actually wanted to listen to what Spencer had to say, even though she knew the blonde also wanted to kiss her.

"But you want me, too."

"I don't."

"Say the truth."

"I…" Spencer stuttered. "I do. But I love her."

"But you want me too," Ashley argued back a little frustrated.

"But I don't love you," Spencer said.

"How come want comes along with love, but love doesn't come along with want?"

"Want is just lust. Love is bigger."

"You obviously never wanted someone like me before," Ashley whispered before touching Spencer's lips with her own, both girls' eyes shutting closed and hearts beating faster.

Ashley's experienced hands restrained themselves and touched only respectful parts of Spencer's body, but every touch on her neck, face or waste brought an electric feeling to both girls. Every single touch, except the one of Spencer's hands on Ashley's shoulders to push her away.

"I think you should leave," Spencer said harshly.

"Okay," Ashley finally opened her eyes with an amazed expression that quickly was replaced by one of pure mock and provocation. "For now."

The brunette was halfway out of the apartment when she turned around with a wicked smirk.

"Oh, and Spencer?" She waited until the blonde looked back at her. "See you tomorrow on set."

A/N: Just in case nobody noticed, all the chapter titles are songs' names. This chapter's is "I Know That's Not Really You" by American Music Club.

The first chapter's was "Dirty Mind", originally by Sara Melson, but in South of Nowhere it's Ashley's.

The second chapter's was "No Pressure Over Capuccino" by Alanis Morissette.

The third chapter's was "These Foolish Things", by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.


	5. Girl From Mars

Who'd Have Known

Chapter V

Girl From Mars

"Ashley! Ashley, over here!"

Flashbulbs exploded in front of Ashley's eyes like thunder bolts in a storm. She knew her last video clip had brought controversy, but she had no idea it was _that much_. She could somehow understand why her record label wanted her next video to be calmer after the last one, but she knew that _Dirty Mind_ deserved so much more. She knew deep down that that song would be her biggest hit – her ticket to the big guys' zone – and she would finally be taken seriously.

Aiden turned his head to the left and smiled faintly at her. She frowned slightly.

"Ashley, was you last video a way of coming out?"

"Ashley, are you gay?

"Ashley, is it true you're dating Ellen Page?"

"Ellen Page?!" Aiden muffled a laugh as he guided Ashley inside the building, an even bigger frown on her face. "Now that'd be just weird."

"Shut up," Ashley rolled her eyes in annoyance. "So, did you come up with a plan? Because I have no idea what we're gonna do."

"Well, it can't be too hard," Aiden mused. "First of all, we need to make two videos; the fake and the real one. They need to be both cheap, so the label won't suspect anything in case we surpass the budget. We show them the fake one, they approve and then… Well, that's the tricky part. We need to bribe the person responsible for sending the video to the channels and stuff."

"And who'd that be?"

"Well, that's the thing…" Aiden frowned. "I don't know."

SPASHLEY

To be rejected was something Ashley wasn't used to. To be wanted, desired and envied… Now, those are feelings she was accustomed to have. To Ashley, women were supposed to be cherished and treated right and that was exactly what she did to all her lovers. However, only when she was with them. She had that super power that Spencer always wanted to have; the power to receive and give herself fully when she was with someone, despite the lack of love. She brought roses and was romantic; making all girls fall madly in love with her and believe the feeling is reciprocal. But the truth was that she only did that for as long as the girls were interesting; and the thing about Ashley is that she got bored way too easily.

Ashley could only chase a girl for so long – usually for not more than one night – and she truly believed that was how it would be with Spencer. But the truth was that for two days straight Spencer was the only person that came to Ashley's mind when she wasn't busy with her music.

"Ash!" Aiden's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and saw her smiling agent with one arm around a blond girl's shoulder… A blond girl with very lovely blue eyes and a very nervous expression on her face. "Look who's here."

"Well, well, well," Ashley put her smirk back on her face and got up from the chair she previously sat to walk towards the two. "Spencer Carlin, the woman of the moment."

"Hi," she mumbled awkwardly, her eyes lingering just a second more than necessary on Ashley's neckline. The blonde was quick to recompose herself, letting her eyes rest on Ashley's smirking face. The singer did the opposite, though. She made sure her eyes looked as hungry as she felt, practically undressing Spencer with her brown orbs.

"So…" Aiden sensed the sexual tension in the air and made a mental note to ask Ashley later when there was no one else around. "Let's, huh, meet the crew?"

"Lead the way." Ashley replied, not taking her eyes off of Spencer's.

"Guys! Hey!" Aiden called out and all the people gathered around to hear. "I think most of you know me. I'm Aiden Dennison, Ashley's agent, and the majority of you have worked on Ashley Davies' projects before, so you know how it works. I just wanted to introduce to you our new director. Spencer Carlin, everyone."

The small group clapped their hands a few times out of respect and Spencer smiled politely, taking one step forward and assuming a leading posture. Ashley was admired when the blonde spoke without stuttering and had to admit she was pretty good with people and was naturally comfortable around them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," she started politely. "But there's one thing you all should know about me. I do things my way. What I want, I get. You're gonna do as I tell, when I tell, exactly how I tell, despite your personal opinions. I'm always open to suggestions, but only when your ideas are better than mine, which, quite frankly, doesn't happen very often. I'm all ears if you want to speak, but don't be offended if I ignore your suggestion. I just want what's best for that video and I assure you I'm gonna put everything that's in me into it. Those who aren't willing to do the same may leave now, because that is not the kind of people I want to work with. Thank you."

There was no applause this time, but Spencer didn't seem to mind. She wore a confident smile on her face and Ashley had to admit that turned her on. A lot.

When the crew dissolved into small groups again, waiting for Spencer's orders, Ashley approached the blonde, who read something from a chart, and whispered in her ear from behind.

"That was hot," she made sure her breath hit Spencer's ear just in the right angle and knew she succeeded when the blonde tensed under her touch. "And here I was thinking you were passive. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, uh?"

"Not even in your wildest dreams, Davies," Spencer got up and walked away, leaving a smiling Ashley behind.

"Alright, people!" Spencer clasped her hands together. "So, I gave a lot of thought to that song, and the label said it has to be a romantic boy-meets-girl kind of love story, and that's what we're doing. I believe you all already received your respective tasks and, well, let's get to work!"

And they did.

As Ashley learned a few minutes later, she wouldn't be needed in the studio for a few weeks. They were still working on the scenarios, outfits and lights, which meant she would still have a few days off. The tour for her new CD would only start after the video was done, a few weeks later, so she took the time to hide in her favorite place in the whole world: that forgotten building on that forgotten street.

SPASHLEY

Ashley Davies was a person of a small number of addictions, but the few she had were taken pretty seriously. One of them was her huge collections of vinyl, which she had inherited from her father and increased with time. In the beginning, the collection consisted mostly of dead '70s and '80s bands and an alarming amount of glam rock. Seven years and several garage sales later, Ashley managed to duplicate the number of records, but with her personal taste added to it. Her favorites, however, were the ones her dad had left, especially the jazz and R&B ones. With her favorite Louis Armstrong record playing and her favorite imported beer in hand, Ashley let her hair down and enjoyed the sound.

If an outsider looked at Ashley's life, they'd think she had it all; perfect job, good looks, loads of money and a whole lot of talent. People would stab each other in the eye for her life and she was actually quite glad to be target of constant envy. If there was one thing she loved about life was to make people think she was happy and cheery all the time; and she did a pretty damn good job at that. But the truth was that Ashley had the emptiest life she had ever seen. She had the looks and the money, but she also had a mind full of non-filled memories of a life she never had. Everyone she loved or had the potential to love were gone, each in their own painful way.

Christine Davies-Cooper-Ford was never the poster mom, but she was Ashley's mom nonetheless and the girl always raised her chin when she spoke about how much she loved her. However, after her parents' divorce things got rough. Since her dad traveled a lot because of his job, she was forced to live with her mom, which at first was fine with her – until her mother started dating, that is. Ashley was forced to leave the house for the night so her mom could have her affairs with men that would never be there if she wasn't loaded and allegedly kids-free.

And then there was her father, Raife Davies, poster dad… poster cool dad, that is. But what other kids thought was cool, to Ashley was sad. Raife was a big rock star, known world-wide, and Ashley was seen as the coolest kid in school because of that. Every kid wanted to be her friend and her dad was always glad to see her surrounded by so many children, but the truth was that all Ashley wanted was her dad near her.

As Ashley grew older, she realized she had lost her mother; they shared no intimacy nor showed any sign of remaining love. However, Ashley still had her father, who, despite his job, always made it very clear that he loved her more than anything in the world. So when Ashley turned seven, she started to take piano lessons as a way to please her dad. When the little brunette entered the world of music, she had no idea that it would be there that she'd find comfort and an escape to all her problems.

All those events and a few others made _the _Ashley Davies; the famous singer who was no longer seen only as Raife Davies' daughter, but also as a talented girl with a great voice.

Ashley's thoughts were interrupted by a bell ringing, which she immediately recognized as the intercom. She got up from her seat and approached the object, putting her beer on the counter beside her.

"Hello?" She said.

"Uh, hey," Spencer's hesitant voice echoed on the intercom, bringing a huge smile to Ashley's face.

"Well, well, Spencer Carlin."

"Yeah, huh…" Spencer hesitated. "Listen, can you open the door for me? My–"

"Sure can," Ashley interrupted while pressing the green button on the wall. A small buzzing noise was heard and then the line went dead. With a smile on her face, Ashley left her apartment and leaned on the white doorframe until she saw Spencer's figure rising from the stairs.

"Hello, stranger," she said.

"Hey," Spencer stopped in front of her grandma's door staring at Ashley. She wanted really bad to get in, but she also didn't want to be rude to the person who had let her in, so she decided to make small talk. "Sorry to bother you. My grandma's not home and I don't really know anyone else here, so…"

"It's okay," Ashley smiled genuinely this time. "Where's Mrs. Carlin?"

"Hospital," Spencer sighed whilst closing her eyes.

"What?!" Ashley sounded alarmed. "Is she okay? What happened?"

"She fell," Spencer was now massaging her own neck. "It's nothing serious, though. She was just careless. I told her to wait for me, but she's just so stubborn! She's a Carlin alright."

"I bet," Ashley smiled; a hint of empathy in her voice. "You look really stressed. Wanna grab a beer? They're good, expensive and in a temperature that'd made a penguin shiver."

"Huh, sounds tempting, but I have to, ah, you know, do… stuff." Spencer went straight to defensive mode, her eyes alert and her body tensed.

"Right," Ashley chuckled. "You're a terrible liar. C'mon, Spence, I swear I won't bite. Unless…"

"I want you to?" Spencer finished with a roll of eye.

"Well, if that's what you want…" Ashley smirked.

"Ashley!"

"I'm kidding!" Ashley chuckled. "Listen, it's just a beer, okay? I won't do anything you don't want me to, I swear. Do you really think I'd force you into anything? I'm not that desperate, alright?"

"I know, I just–"

"C'mon, Spence, you know you want it," she smiled. "We can listen to good music, drink our beers, watch TV… No strings attached, I promise."

"I don't know…"

"I really want to fuck you," Ashley said bluntly. "I won't deny that. But I also want to be friends with you and, hey, I can handle rejection. And I so can handle my hormones."

Sighing, Spencer found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one side, she really wanted to be with Ashley – she was fun and kind of her boss –, and on the other, she feared her own actions when around the young singer.

"You'll say yes and you know it, Spencer," Ashley singed with a smirk, making Spencer sigh even louder and leave the side of her grandma's wooden door to walk towards Ashley's.

"Just because you pay my salary."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ashley smirked.

As they entered Ashley's apartment, an instant comfort evaded Spencer's senses - a feeling quite common when it came to that place, as she would learn later.

"Want a beer?" Ashley offered while closing the door behind Spencer. The blonde sat on the black leather couch and nodded her head yes, waiting for Ashley to sit with her. When she returned with two beers and sat down next to Spencer, a sudden discomfort took over the blonde. All of a sudden, she was very aware of who she was with and where she was.

"Don't." Ashley interrupted her freaking out. Spencer shot her a confused look. "Don't freak out. It's just me."

"That's exactly what scares me," Spencer admitted before taking a sip of her beer. It tasted really weak, which surprised her – Ashley didn't seem like the kind of person who drank weak beer.

"I guess you're kind of right," Ashley shrugged. "I haven't shown you a very good side of me, have I?"

"Not really."

"Yeah."

They stayed sitting awkwardly for some time, each deep in their own thoughts. Billions of excuses ran through Spencer's mind to get her out of that situation, but none of them seemed good enough – plausible enough.

"I like _Jericho_," Ashley started out of the blue. "And _Grey's Anatomy_. And I love _Gilmore Girls_ and I always, I mean _always_ laugh at _Friends_ reruns. I have all the seasons and I've seen all episodes, but I always laugh at their jokes. Phoebe is my favorite. I rooted for Ross and Rachel since first episode. I smile like crazy when I watch _Two For The Road_. It's my favorite movie of all times. Calms me down in a heartbeat."

"Huh…" Spencer was speechless. "Hepburn fan?"

"Finney," Ashley smiled. "But I love Audrey, too. She was great in _Funny Face_."

"That's probably my favorite musical of all times," Spencer smiled back. "I love Fred Astaire."

"My favorite musical of all times has to be _Rocky Horror Picture Show_."

"Shut up!" Spencer giggled. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, I love transvestites!" Ashley replied with a small chuckle. "I even sang _Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me_ in a concert once. Someone recorded it and put it on the Internet a few days later, I laughed my ass off when I heard myself singing it."

"No kidding!" Spencer laughed and was actually pretty surprised at how easy it was to talk to Ashley, which made her forget all her previous worries. "Tell me more about you."

"Huh…" Ashley scrunched up her face in a thinking expression that Spencer found really cute. "Even though I play guitar all the time, I prefer the piano. It was the first instrument I learned, because of my dad. My mom wanted me to learn ballet. She wanted me to be a proper lady, I guess."

"Didn't work, did it?" Spencer smirked.

"Not really," Ashley chuckled. "She was especially disgusted when I came out, though. Her face was priceless."

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Ashley smiled sadly. "She accepts me as long as I keep sending her checks every other month."

"Wow," Spencer felt a wave of sympathy running through her body. _Am I letting my guard down?_, she thought a little alarmed.

"Yeah," Ashley looked away. "My dad was great about it, though. He said he loved me no matter what and even wanted to meet my girlfriend at the time."

"He was a great guy, uh?" Spencer smiled.

"Yeah," Ashley looked back into Spencer's eyes and the same electricity from the other day ran through their bodies. Blue on brown. This time a hundred per cent sober, Spencer could fully realize the depth of the connection she shared with the brunette; all the hair on the back of her head and her arms shooting up in a long delighted shiver.

Before she could even take in all the information, she realized her head was a little tilted to the front, as well as Ashley's. They were leaning in, and, even though Spencer knew it was wrong, she didn't pull back – she just closed her eyes. She could almost feel Ashley's lips on her own when–

_This was never the way I planned; not my intention_

Spencer shot her eyes open. That was her girlfriend's ring tone.

A/N: This chapter's song is Girl From Mars, by Ash.


	6. The Perfect Fit

Who'd Have Known

Chapter VI

The Perfect Fit

Katy Perry's _I Kissed a Girl_ emanating from Spencer's cell phone brought Ashley back to Earth, her eyes shooting open and her body immediately pulling back from Spencer's. The blonde seemed surprised and unsure of what to do, her cell phone still in her pocket.

"You only have to answer to that if you want to," Ashley suggested, her eyes locked with Spencer's.

"I, uh…" it seemed as if when she was around Ashley, all Spencer could do was stutter; it was as if she lost the gift of speech. She got up in a jump and opened the mobile, bringing it to her ear. "Hi."

Ashley could only hear Spencer's side of the conversation, but for some reason she knew who it was.

"What?" Spencer turned around, as if that way Ashley wouldn't be able to hear the conversation. "I thought you'd only be back next week."

Ashley's insides turned upside down and she drank almost half of her beer at once, the bitter taste of the drink staying in her mouth.

"Baby, congratulations!" Spencer said cheerily, pride obvious in her voice. "Oh, my God, that's so exciting. Yeah, sure, I'll pick you up at seven. Love you, too."

Spencer flipped the phone shut, turning around to meet Ashley's nonchalant face.

"I kissed a girl, uh?" She smirked.

"Yeah…" Spencer smiled nervously. "So, huh, I should probably get going."

"You should," Ashley agreed. "But you don't have to."

"Ashley…"

"I'm serious," Ashley sighed and shook her head. "Listen, Spence. Whatever happened just now–"

"Nothing happened."

"Right," Ashley rolled her eyes. "So, if nothing happened, then why do you have to go? C'mon, I wanna hear some of your stories."

There was an interval that lasted at least one whole minute in which Spencer and Ashley did nothing but stare into each other's eyes, millions of thoughts running through their heads. That was the moment that Spencer realized that when it came to Ashley, being stuck between a rock and a hard place was very common; and strangely she didn't mind at all. What really bothered her was that the brunette seemed to always get what she wanted from Spencer – and that could be very dangerous.

"Alright," she sat back down. "What do you wanna know?"

"Tell me about that girlfriend of yours."

Spencer was a little taken aback by that request, but obeyed nonetheless.

"Well," she paused. "She used to be a journalist, but now she's trying to raise the money to start her own magazine. We met in college, but we weren't even friends back then… We just hung in the same circle. And then we met again after a few years in a book store and she asked me out."

"How very Harry and Sally of you," Ashley joked.

"It is, isn't it?" Spencer smiled. "She was away trying to raise the capital to start her magazine and now she's coming home early because she did it."

"Wow," Ashley forced a smile. "Congratulations, that's very exciting."

"Yeah," Spencer forced a smile back. "Very exciting…."

_Except it isn't._

SPASHLEY

The minute Spencer left Ashley's apartment, an hour after their little chat about Spencer's girlfriend, Ashley felt the need to scream. She wanted to hit her head on the wall, because it was right then and there that she realized something very important about her future video clip. She _liked_ Spencer… She liked Spencer the same way she liked Madison Duarte on grade 4. And that complicated things even more.

"I need you," she said into her cell phone after pressing speed dial 1. "Now." She added before flipping the machine shut.

If there was one thing she thought would keep her mind off of Spencer, that thing was sex.

SPASHLEY

Two days before the video shooting, Ashley received a quick call from Spencer, telling her that the fake one would be basically about a girl waking up in different beds every night. The girl, played by Ashley herself, would always be thinking about her guy, who'd be a gorgeous model. He'd find her on a bar and then she'd wake up in his familiar bed all warm and cozy. It was sweet, really, but it wasn't her thing. However, it was the label's thing and they'd love it.

Ashley loved even more the original video, though.

When the shooting began, Ashley made sure she looked as truthful as possible, but the reality was that she always had to hold back a chuckle. However, her second natural gift was acting and she looked very honest in all scenes they shot so far.

As much as Ashley hated to have to dress up and wear a great amount of make up, she especially liked the scene they shot the second day. On that scene, Ashley woke up in some random person's bed beside said person – wearing nothing but underwear. She realized Spencer was trying to postpone the scene as much as she could, but Ashley made her pouty face and asked the big men if they could shoot the scene as soon as possible, claiming she had stopped working out and wanted to look good. They all always melted at their big star and agreed, so Spencer was forced to face one of her biggest fears before she was even ready – lust.

The scene started with Ashley with her eyes closed and some random guy asleep beside her in a giant bed with white sheets. She opened her eyes and made her best suffering face and started to sing the chorus.

They were all positioned, except for Ashley, when said brunette arrived in a bath robe and messy hair, wearing strong smudgy make up. She tapped Spencer's shoulder and flashed her a quizzical grin.

"So, where should I stay?"

"Huh… in bed, obviously," Spencer tried to act cool, but couldn't keep her mind off of the small remembrance of the quarter of second she had looked at Ashley's smooth skin touching the soft robe.

"I know, silly," Ashley rolled her eyes. "I meant how. On my back or on my side?"

"Oh," Spencer blushed. "Um, I think…"

"Why don't you show me?" Ashley smiled.

"Yeah, sure," Spencer walked towards the open bedroom that was very messy and simple. Everything was white. "Here, you should…"

Spencer trailed off, her eyes wide open. Right before her eyes, Ashley, with her back turned to the blonde, unwrapped the robe and let it fall on the floor, sliding through her body awfully slow. And there it was, right in front of Spencer, what she would call a display of perfection. Smooth tanned back with curly hair falling all over it, small oh-so-kissable shoulders, perfect round ass with a small piece of garment covering it and long – really long – cellulite-free legs.

"I should what?" Ashley turned around to look at Spencer, but that only made the girl's suffering increase. She was facing the nearly-naked front of Ashley's body. If the back was perfect, then the front was two times perfect. Her breasts weren't huge, but seemed to have been measured for her exactly. Her stomach was so toned that she would bet that she'd still look that way even if she never worked out again. But the best part – something that Spencer never really liked, but looked perfect in Ashley – was her pierced bellybutton.

"Spencer?" Ashley snapped her fingers in front of Spencer's face, bringing her back from her trance. The blonde turned an even deeper shade of red, but it seemed to have gone unnoticed by Ashley. "I should what?"

"Oh!" Spencer snapped out of her daydream and pulled the sheets for Ashley to lie down. "On your side, please. We'll film your face from that angle first, then we'll film from the ceiling. Oh, and you have to lie on your back on the last line."

"Alright," Ashley did as she was told and Spencer returned to her original place next to the cameraman.

"I'll start the music and you can sing with it when the chorus begins. Close your eyes."

She did.

"Lights."

It went dark.

"Camera."

They started shooting.

"Music."

It started playing.

"Action!"

_Oh please come find me with your dirty mind_

_Hold me down until I cry_

_With your wicked secret smile_

SPASHLEY

Since before Spencer met Ashley, she had followed her career with certain interest. When she was a little girl, her father loved Purple Venom – Raife Davies' band – and she actually started to appreciate their music. However, it was only after the man's death that Spencer actually found out about Ashley's existence. While watching the news in silence with her dad, Spencer heard all about the singer's two daughters. The second Ashley's photo appeared on the screen, she knew the girl was a beauty. Her features changed from sadness to surprise in a matter of seconds and then disappointment when the photo disappeared. The girl was really pretty.

The day after that, her dad asked her if she wanted to sneak out of the house with him to go somewhere special. She didn't know where it was, but for some reason she knew it had to do with Raife Davies.

She wasn't wrong. Father and daughter, holding hands, went to the secret tribute to Purple Venom's lead singer, where the same girl from the TV, Ashley, gave a speech.

"… So I decided we should give him a last chance to break the rules," was the only thing Spencer remembered about the speech, right before the brunette opened the big jar and let the ashes fly away with the wind. There were cheers from everyone – including Spencer's father – and then, for one split second, their eyes locked. Spencer's blue eyes were glued to Ashley's brown ones for one single life-changing moment. And then her dad squeezed her hand, making her involuntarily look away from her.

"We should go before your mom finds out we sneaked out," he said.

"Okay." Spencer nodded and looked back towards Ashley's direction, but she was nowhere to be seen anymore.

A few years later, her dad came home holding a new CD and knocked on Spencer's door. He said he had just bought a tribute to Raife Davies, a CD with his best songs sang by people he knew. He asked if she wanted to listen to it with him and she nodded.

While her dad put the CD on, Spencer grabbed the chart and read with interest the songs and who sang them. Her eyes immediately stopped on the very last song; Hold On, performed by Ashley Davies.

"Dad?" Spencer called him. "Can we listen to the last song first, please?"

"Sure," he replied with curiosity. "Which one's that?"

"Hold on," Spencer sat down on the floor. "It's sung by his daughter."

"Cool," he pressed play and sat down next to his daughter. A few seconds later, gentle guitar strumming flooded the air and the sweetest voice Spencer had ever heard numbed her senses.

_Spent your life searching_

_Waiting in line_

_I know you're holding on_

_To what you can't find_

"She has a really great voice, doesn't she?" Her dad asked with surprise in his voice. "I guess it's in the DNA."

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. "I guess it is."

And, after that day, Spencer followed Ashley's work with as much passion as she followed Raife's.

A/N: Today's song is _The Perfect Fit_, by **Dresden Dolls**.


	7. Figures A and B Means You And Me

Who'd Have Known

Chapter XII

Figures A and B (Means You And Me)

Wearing her favorite Diesel jeans, a large white blouse and her favorite pair of Wayfarer – the white one – Ashley left her apartment with a cup of coffee on one hand and her car keys on the other. After taking only a few steps, she stopped in front of Spencer's door and knocked softly on it. She heard a small sound coming from inside and then the door opened to reveal a tall African American guy well dressed and with a small smile on his face.

"Oh, sorry, I think I knocked on the wrong door," Ashley was about to turn around when she heard a small chuckle.

"You're looking for Spencer, aren't you?" Said the guy, making Ashley turn around to face him. She nodded. "I'll go get her for you."

He reentered the apartment – leaving the door open – and came back a few seconds later.

"She's finishing getting dressed. You can wait here if you want."

"Okay," Ashley entered the apartment and sat on the couch beside the man. "Um, I'm Ashley."

"I know," he smiled. "My girlfriend loves you. Don't tell her, but so do I."

"Okay," Ashley chuckled. "Thanks…."

"Oh, right, sorry," he smiled to himself and held his hand up. "I'm Clay. Spencer's brother."

"Nice to meet you, Clay." She shook his hand with a small smile. "I didn't know Spencer had a brother."

"Two," Clay corrected her. "We're three. There's Glen, the older, and me."

"So you're the middle child?"

"Sort of," Clay smiled. "I am older than Spencer, but I was adopted by them when I was already eight, so technically I'm the last child."

"I know how that must feel," Ashley smirked. "I mean, I've been through a similar situation with my sister. Only she wasn't adopted. She's my half sister, but I only found out about her after my dad died."

"I didn't know that," Clay was genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, that's coz my mom told the midia we knew about her all along. She told them my dad met her every once in a while and stuff like that. It kind of preserved his image, so that's cool with me."

"You really shouldn't tell that to strangers."

"You're not stranger," Ashley smiled. "You're Spencer's brother. Plus, I don't think they're interested in that subject anymore. They've all forgotten about my dad. Except for an occasional documentary on old school rock, that is."

"That's not true," Clay smiled. "My dad is Raife Davies' biggest fan. I swear he's been to all of his concerts in a 200 miles radium."

"Really?" Ashley smiled.

"Yeah. He actually cried when he died. And he even started to follow your music after that tribute. You know, the one where you sang Hold On."

"Wow, that's really cool."

"He wasn't that excited at first, you know. But then Spencer just wouldn't stop listening to Hold On for like two months and then dad gave in. They downloaded some of your songs, recorded on a CD and wouldn't stop listening to it. There was a copy in every car in the house. I swear to you, Spencer was like obsessed."

"Really?" Ashley smiled with genuine surprise. "She didn't seem that excited when she met me."

"Oh, she definitely tried to look normal," Clay chuckled. "But she isn't. Not when it comes to you, at least. Just don't tell her I said that."

"Oh, I can't make any promises about that," Ashley smirked.

"Promise what?" Spencer came into the room, her hair pulled into a high ponytail and her clothes very simple, yet sophisticated.

"Nothing," Clay answered before Ashley could think of anything to say.

"I've seen you met Ashley, then," Spencer smiled and kissed her brother's cheek.

"Yeah, your brother's pretty cool," Ashley smiled. "At least someone is normal in this family."

"Said miss normality with a smug smirk on her face," Spencer rolled her eyes. "Whatever are you doing here, by the way?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if you needed a ride, since we're going to the same place and stuff."

"Right," Spencer thought for a moment. "Yeah, that'd be cool. I can't afford a taxi every day, anyway."

"Cool," Ashley smiled. "Why don't we stop by for coffee on the way?"

"Sounds good."

"Alright, let's go. Clay, it was really nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to hear more of Spencer's embarrassing childhood stories some time soon."

"Will be my pleasure," Clay answered. "I've got tones of those."

"Shut up!" Spencer smacked him on the arm and he laughed in response, shaking his head and walking towards his grandmother's bedroom.

"I'm taking your grandma is back home?" Ashley asked after they left the small apartment and waited for the elevator.

"Yeah," Spencer smiled. "She's a lot better now, but I just worry too much to leave her alone. So since Clay is his own boss and can afford to work home for a few days, he offered to come and take care of her while I'm working."

"He seems like a really nice brother," Ashley commented as they entered the elevator and pressed the bottom floor button.

"Yeah, he is," Spencer answered. "Unlike Glen, who can be a real jerk sometimes."

"I know what you mean," Ashley nodded. "My sister can be such a dumbass sometimes."

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, Kyla. She's just one year younger, but we're from different mothers."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Yeah, funny story…" And they didn't stop talking until they reached their destination.

SPASHLEY

_All I know is that you're __so nice_

_You're the nicest thing I've seen_

Ashley sighed and rested the pencil back on the table. She massaged her temple with a frown and groaned lowly, her hair falling on the sides of her face. She could smell the smoke coming from it and felt disgusted by herself. Her hair was messy, her nails were cracked and her clothes felt uncomfortable while clinging to all wrong parts of her body. She lifted the cigarette from the ashtray and brought it to her mouth one last time before smashing it and getting up from the chair.

She couldn't get blond hair out of her mind. Big blue lazy eyes and kind smile framed by soft pink lips. That sickness had a name; it began with Spencer and ended with Carlin.

As if on cue, Ashley heard a soft knock on the door and opened it to reveal the owner of all of her recent thoughts.

"Hey," Spencer shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I need to go out for a while, I was wondering if you could, um, keep an eye on my grandma for a few minutes?"

"Oh." Ashley forced a smile. "Sure thing."

"I'm really sorry, Clay had to go and I really don't want to leave her alone. Her new pills make her very agitated and I don't want her to fall again. You just have to grab anything she needs and walk her to the bathroom in case she needs to go."

"No problem, neighbor."

"Thanks a lot, Ash," Spencer smiled. "You're a real lifesaver."

"That I am," Ashley smiled and grabbed the sheet of paper lying on the table before closing the door and entering Mrs. Carlin's apartment. It smelled like cleaning products and cookies.

"Oh, cookies," Ashley smiled and entered the kitchen sniffing the air. She grabbed two cookies and entered the older Carlin's bedroom with a big grin. "How's my favorite gal going?"

"Ashley!" Mrs. Carlin's face immediately lit up with a big smile. It happened a lot whenever the brunette was around.

"Cookie?" Ashley offered before sitting down on a chair beside the bed. The woman shook her head and Ashley shrugged before taking a bite of the second cookie. "Your loss. Those are really good."

"Of course they are, Spencer made them."

"Umm…"

"She's a great cooker, you know," Mrs. Carlin began while eyeing Ashley curiously. "And she's really sweet."

"She really is."

"Did you know she graduated with the best grades in her class?"

"Uh, no, I didn't."

"She did!" Mrs. Carlin smiled proudly. "And she's great with kids."

"Good to know," Ashley grinned shyly.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to say, but…" Mrs. Carlin signed for her to get closer, so Ashley did. When the woman's lips were almost touching her ear, she whispered carefully.

"… She's gay."

"Oh." Ashley leaned back on the chair. "Oh. Um… Okay."

"I just thought you should know."

"Mrs. Carlin, with all due respect," Ashley blushed. "Spencer has a girlfriend. One she seems to love very much, actually."

"Nonsense," Mrs. Carlin rolled her eyes. "That skinny girl can barely stand her own body, she could never marry my granddaughter. She needs someone with some meat on her body."

Ashley chuckled in amusement.

"I'm serious!" Mrs. Carlin added, trying to make the girl see her point. "I don't like that girlfriend of hers. Don't get me wrong, she's a nice girl. But she's just not right for my Spence."

"Yeah, well…"

"I saw the way you looked at her, you know," Mrs. Carlin said after a minute of silence. Ashley immediately blushed, remembering the way she looked at Spencer when she thought Mrs. Carlin wasn't looking. It was as if she was a piece of meat.

"On my defense, she was really… cute with that blue top."

"Not that, silly," Mrs. Carlin chuckled. "I don't think you even realized, but you paid full attention to every little thing she said. Spencer deserves someone who sees her for who she is; who finds everything about her as fascinating as a Fred Astaire musical."

"I really like Fred Astaire," Ashley looked away with a shy smile.

"Oh, darling." Mrs. Carlin smiled sadly. "We all do."

"Nobody believes me, though. I don't look like the kind of girl who… likes classic cinema. You know? But when it comes to Fred Astaire… It's different. I don't think I ever felt that way about… movies."

"We never think we're gonna fall in love with cinema until we found our favorite actors, honey. If Spencer happens to be your Fred Astaire, then I think you should fight for her."

"It's what I've been trying to do, Mrs. Carlin."

"Spencer's a sweet girl, Ash," the older woman smiled. "She can't be rushed or pressured. Give her some time. Get on her good side. Become her friend. Sooner or later she'll realize who she really wants."

"I hope so."

They stayed in silence for several moments, each deep in their own thoughts, when suddenly Ashley took a sheet of paper together with a pen to write her reflections down.

_I wish that we could give it a go_

_See if we could be something_

_I wish I was your favorite girl_

_I wish you thought I was the reason you are in the world_

SPASHLEY

When Spencer got home later that night, Ashley had gathered all the courage to talk to her. She stood up from her chair and took a deep breath. The blonde opened the bedroom door with a small smile and whispered for her to come out. Mrs. Carlin had long fallen asleep.

"Spence, there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay, but first let me–"

"No, I have to say it." Ashley shifted the weight of her body to her other foot. "I talked to your grandma and she made me realize something about you. About us."

"Ash–"

"Please, let me finish." The brunette took a step towards her and grabbed one of her hands with her own. "I'm really sorry for everything I've done. I'm sorry for trying to seduce you all the time and playing all those mind games. It was really childish of me."

"It's okay," Spencer looked everywhere except Ashley's eyes, so the brunette had to gather some more courage to lift her hand and hold her chin between her fingers. Their eyes locked.

"There's a reason why I did all those things, Spencer," she said. "It wasn't because you're hot or because you're clever or talented or any of those things. I thought it was, but it isn't. Those aren't the reason I tried to seduce you. I tried to sleep with you because I love you."

Spencer's eyes grew at least twice larger as the normal size. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it.

"And I love you because you make me feel so good," Ashley's heartbeat increased. "Because you have this goofy grin thing going on every time we talk about the music video. And because your laughter always makes me smile, no matter what mood I'm in. And because I can't help but melt inside every single time you call me Ash with that cute voice of yours."

She took another deep breath.

"But mostly I love you because you're to me what Fred Astaire was to musicals. You made me see beauty in something I always dreamed of, but somewhere along the way forgot about."

A/N: This chapter's song is "Figures A and B (Means You And Me)" by _Hellogoodbye_.


End file.
